In far too many cases, dense insights decks simply don’t receive the attention they deserve. This isn’t because the insights aren’t valuable, but because they aren’t presented in an exciting way.
The solution? The same storytelling principles that make front-page headlines stick should be applied to business insights.
In our recent special episode of the Insighter’s Club podcast, award-winning journalist and brand consultant Grant Feller shared his own insights. He unpacked what makes insights impactful, why decks often get left aside, and how to discover real decision-making power by thinking and acting more like journalists.
Keep reading to learn the key takeaways from the episode and how you can apply storytelling principles to your insights engagement strategy.
1. Fight for attention, don’t just build it
One of the most striking concepts Grant shares is that insights teams don’t just need to build attention anymore. They must fight for attention.
Data is everywhere in large enterprise organizations. As AI continues to boom, that volume increases at rapid rates.
Everyone’s inbox is overflowing. Executives are stretched thin. Attention spans are down to seconds.
Grant cites a figure that he came across in his own research on how the brain consumes online content; we typically decide within 17 milliseconds whether something is worth reading. And if we decide it’s worth our time, we give it around 20 seconds before moving on. That’s the tiny window we’re working with.
So, what grabs attention? Well, certainly not a file full of hundreds of pages. Or a 67-slide deck.
Create stories to grab attention. And not just any stories, but ones that make us lean in.
2. Pair insights with marmalade-dropping narratives
In British journalism, one of the highest compliments a story could get was being called a “marmalade dropper”. This refers to a headline so surprising and compelling that it made you drop your toast at the breakfast table.
Today, insights need that same effect, yet the surprise factor alone isn’t enough. In journalism, an insight that makes you drop your marmalade is enough.
But in the boardroom, insights have to be useful. They need to help people make a decision.
It's natural to assume that the value of the data will be clear, especially after investing significant effort in the research. However, in decision-making environments like the boardroom, even the strongest insights benefit from a clear narrative and a sense of emotional resonance.
The reality is: usefulness beats thoroughness. If your insight doesn’t help drive a decision, it doesn’t matter how long you spent researching it. The key is providing insights that include both a gripping narrative and the potential to drive change.
3. Understand what storytelling means in the insights world
Storytelling isn’t about fluff. It involves structure, audience focus, and emotional connection. A good story has a hook that draws people in and makes them care enough to ask, “What happens next?”
People often mistake storytelling for “presentation polish”. They believe the deck has a narrative if each slide has a headline. But real storytelling goes deeper than this.
It all begins with the audience. Who are they? What decisions are they trying to make? What are they worried about?
Then the story builds a path. The insight becomes a stepping stone, moving things forward. The story helps connect the dots between the data and the decision.
That’s the difference between an insights deck that’s skimmed and one that’s remembered.
4. Search for your storytelling skills
Grant often hears the same concern when working with insight professionals: “But I'm not a writer. I’m not a storyteller.” To that, he says, “Nonsense.”
Pretty much everyone has explained a movie plot, told a funny story over coffee, or described what happened in a meeting. That means everyone has had some sort of storytelling experience.
We all tell stories every day, but we often lack the confidence to share that part of ourselves at work.
And yes, writing can be challenging. But storytelling isn’t about getting everything down, pen to paper. It’s about understanding what parts of the story matter to your audience and sharing the key insights with them in a memorable way.
As Grant puts it: “The moment you open your laptop, it’s like life is somewhere else. But it's not, it's there in your work. I try to encourage people to accept that they are great storytellers and writers. Writing, which is difficult, becomes easier when you can incorporate all of those things that go on in life into your work.”
While AI is invaluable in so many ways, it can’t yet build momentum around a story. That’s where humans still have the edge.
Storytelling provides context, adds relevance, and makes data more meaningful. If AI does the heavy lifting, then our human skills—like empathy, emotional intelligence, and intuition—become more important than ever when combining storytelling and insights.
Grant continues: “Storytelling is what makes you more valuable in an era where you might feel less valuable. You’re not. The more skilled you are, the more you can get out of these tools.”
5. Rethink the 67-slide deck
The format of your insight delivery is an important, strategic decision. And if you’re not thinking about format yet, you’re missing opportunities.
Insights professionals must transform long decks into smaller, snackable, story-led summaries with a hook and clear call to action. Even one-line insight promos can do the majority of the work. The complete data should be available for those who want to dive deep into it, but they need to be digestible for insights to stick and get people thinking (and making decisions).
Treat your insights like stories that need to travel. Make them short, sharp, and timely. And trust that if your audience is interested, they’ll ask for more.
6. Build a newsroom ethos in your team
The newsroom mindset doesn’t mean yelling across the office. It means collaboration, a sense of adventure and spice, and shared ownership. It means building a story together in real-time, with everyone contributing ideas, challenging assumptions, and shaping the final story.
When insight teams adopt the newsroom ethos, things change. They start delivering their insights faster and getting better at identifying the stories that stick and matter to the business.
Don’t just deliver insights–tell stories that stick
So, to sum up, what should insight professionals remember from Grant’s episode?
Grant leaves us with two key pieces of advice to keep top of mind:
- Don’t be afraid to try something new: The real risk is that your insights won't be seen, and all that hard work will be wasted.
- Trust your gut: If something feels like a good story, it probably is. If it feels flat or something is missing, your audience will feel it, too.
At Stravito, we’re all about helping insights teams and professionals surface, share, and build on the stories that matter. Because insights only have value if they’re understood, used, and remembered.
Let’s stop hiding great insights in dense decks. Let’s share stories that move people.
Want to hear the full episode? You can listen to Grant Feller’s talk on the Insighter’s Club podcast, or join the Insighter's Club for even more industry insights.
